Getting its name originally from being the center of ideas and education in the Age of Enlightenment, Paris emanates all that is romance, exquisiteness, and glamour – basically anything that holds an indefinable allure. Here are a few ideas to keep you entertained on your trip, touristy and otherwise…

SHOP:

The Champs-Élysées has all the high street brands, including the much coveted Sephora that for some odd reason has not opened in the UK yet. Massimo Dutti is a classy premium brand worth taking a look at too. Try coming here before noon as it otherwise gets swamped with tourists shopping and taking photos of the Arc de Triomphe. There are also quite a few museums you can check out here.

Photo credit: journeymart.com

If you’re looking for luxury, take a walk down Avenue Montaigne. Louis Vuitton (also on the Champs), Prada, Harry Winston, Chanel, etc. are all here. You can stop in the famed Plaza Athénée for tea.

Go to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps which is even nicer, for a wider variety of brands in a high-end department store setting. Make sure you get there early if you’re going on a weekend as the crowds can be overwhelming!

Photo credit: Tai Yuni

EAT:

L’Avenue restaurant on Avenue Montaigne is the perfect way to treat yourself after walking all around Paris. Everything on the menu is excellent. And when the weather is nice you can sit on the terrace and people-watch in an intimate setting.

Photo credit: Tai Yuni

La Société is a super trendy spot that is great for group dinners. ‘Le tigre qui pleure’ is a delicious steak dish that melts in your mouth. You’ll be sure to bump into a celebrity or two here.

Make sure you soak in all the sights and sounds of this magical city before you go on to your next destination.

As always, have a great trip!

About Tai Yuni

I am here to introduce you to tips and tricks on living the ultimate gyp-set lifestyle. I have been globetrotting since day one (128 cities in 30 countries so far) – and not always with sufficient means to do so – but international travel and living in different countries is my passion. And if a little luxury is thrown in there, all the better. – Tai Yuni.

Regular blogger on wealthmonitorblog.com. Wealthmonitor is a division of the Mergermarket Group and the Financial Times Group. 

Guest blogger on Natalie Minh Lifestyle Magazine and Member of Travel Blog Exchange

Website: http://thegypsyjetsetter.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tai.yuni
Twitter: @TaiYuni

“I just don’t have the time” is no longer an excuse. I don’t care if you’re a full-time student and a full-time employee. I don’t care if you’re working 100+ hour weeks, if you have 5 kids, or if your significant other is eating up all of your time. I know people who embody these things and they manage to stay in great shape.

Yes, this may sound harsh, but I was raised with a whole lot of tough love, and that’s what I’m giving you now. If you want something badly enough, you will find a way to get it. No wall is too high; no obstacle is too hard. Your excuse, my friend, is invalid.

What about me? I’m just a chick who takes on a full class load, plays a sport, tutors, and runs a business on the side. And I’m teaching myself how to program and play the guitar in my spare time. But that’s all I do. Oh yeah, oh yeah… I also lift weights and stay fit. It’s taken a bit of trial-and-error – several of those “OhmyGodwhydidIdothat” moments – but I think I’ve figured it out now. What’s “it”? How to maintain your fitness when you’re crazy super busy. It’s surprisingly simple. Ready?

1. Decide that fitness is going to be a priority in your life.

Cut the bull crap. Do you actually want to be fit or do you enjoy talking about how “one day” you’ll get there? Dig deep and try to figure out if getting healthy and fit is something you want to actively strive for. Make the decision that you’re ready and willing to put fitness at the top of your list – ahead of booze, ahead of late-night HIMYM marathons (guilty as charged), ahead of Chinese take-out, ahead of that profession you’ve mastered called Ass Sitting. If you haven’t made any kind of real effort yet, you’re not allowed to whine.

The couch is comfortable, yes, but glorious glutes don’t build themselves. Merely talking about how badly you want something isn’t going to get you anywhere, either.

Buckle up and put on your Big Girl – or Big Boy – panties.

2. Make your time in the gym count

What is the absolute minimum time you can devote to fitness in a week? 5 hours? Great! 3 hours? That’s good. We can work with that. 2 hours? Oof, it’ll be tricky, but it can be done.

Alright, so now that you’re in the gym… don’t stand around and socialize. This one should be a no-brainer but it’s easy to find yourself distracted. Plus, once you get sucked into a conversation, sometimes a whole 20 minutes can go by before you realize what’s happened. It’s a bad feeling.

Stick to your rest periods. You should have an idea of how much rest you need for each exercise. If you’re deadlifting, you may need more rest. Superset your exercises if you need to – that one’s a real time saver. Pair an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise or a pushing movement with a pulling movement.

Eliminate the froo-froo. Hey, you’ve only got so much time in the gym today; why are you spending the last 10 minutes doing tricep kickbacks? Don’t waste your time prancing around on the Bosu ball. No isolation exercises. Get in, foam roll, mobility work, lift, get out. 50 minutes? 40 minutes? Cool.

If you have time to afford to do more than just lift, opt for metabolic work over steady state cardio. We’re all about maximizing every minute, aren’t we? Even just a 5-minute metabolic finisher after you’re done with your training can go a long way.

3. Do what you can when you’re not in the gym.

Just because you’re not in the gym doesn’t mean you can’t work on your fitness. Set up a pull up bar or squeeze in a set of pushups every time you go to the bathroom.

Walk when you can. I make an effort to walk to and from class on my off days. Instead of grabbing coffee with a friend, go for a hike or a walk. Take a brisk walk when you want to take a mental break from work. That’s a double whammy right there.

Never underestimate the value of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which is essentially anything that falls outside of formal exercise. Little bits of extras here and there throughout the course of a day really add up. Even just standing for an hour as opposed to sitting will burn double the number of calories.

You’ll be surprised at how easily fitness can be incorporated into your day.

4. Nail your nutrition.

Being on point with your diet is perhaps the most important factor of all, and it’s unfortunately also the hardest to get right. The less time you’re able to spend in the gym, the less leeway you have with your diet.

Plan ahead. As with just about anything, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Have your food ready the night before, or if you’re eating out, have a dieting strategy in mind.

Develop diet staples; sometimes the less creative you are, the easier it is. This eliminates a lot of time you would otherwise spend thinking about what you should eat.

Dick Talens, co-founder of Fitocracy and workaholic, has this to say about dieting:

“Remember how busy I was in December? I was working 100+ hours a week, but that was actually the best diet month of my life by far. I was able to use the distraction of work to my advantage. Postponing my first meal of the day until the afternoon saved me an incredible amount of time in the day and, though I ate out all the time, I always got the same foods. Also, one thing I’ve been doing recently to hit my macros has been to get a foot-long sandwich at Subway with double meat and no cheese on my workout days and also prepare a bowl of casein and frozen berries. This comes out to 125g protein, 150g carbs for my first meal and takes me not even 5 minutes to make.”

Read that above paragraph again. You see what he did there? Instead of lamenting over his lack of time and grabbing fast food in the few minutes he had to chow down, he found a restaurant that offered diet-friendly foods and became a regular customer. He changed his mindset to view his workload not as an impediment to his fitness goals, but rather as an advantage.

5. Have checkpoints.

Whether you want to weigh in daily or weekly, assess yourself by what you see in the mirror or by the fit or your favorite pair of jeans, be sure to have checkpoints. Test your strength every couple of weeks or every few months. Evaluating where you are in your fitness journey allows you to make any necessary adjustments and also provides honest feedback about how you’re doing. If you’re dropping fat at an alarming rate, it’s probably a sign that you’re shedding some hard-earned muscle as well. If your strength levels are dipping, perhaps your dieting calories are too low or you’re not doing enough heavy lifting.

Along the same lines, have an accountability buddy. This is huge. Sometimes people will hire trainers and pay them just so they have someone to be accountable to. Recruit a friend to keep tabs on each other. This will make you think twice – or thrice – before you swing by that donut store on your way back from work. Remember my recent post? I made myself accountable to the entire Internet community. Knowing that there are eyes watching me really does a lot to keep me in check. The last thing I want to do is to let someone else down after I’ve committed to something.

Recall that I mentioned earlier that this was simple. I didn’t say it was easy, so don’t confuse the two. But you know what? Nothing worth having comes easily. This will be worth the ride – I promise you that.

You have everything in you to succeed. The question is whether or not you’re willing to tap into your potential and make it happen.

About the Author

Sohee Lee is an FMI alum, NSCA-certified personal trainer, writer, and fulltime student. She will receive her BA in Human Biology from Stanfod University in June 2012.

When not in the gym or buried in textbooks, Sohee can be found writing fitness articles and networking with other like-minded individuals.

To learn more about Sohee, visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or join her Facebook fan page.

Prague is filled with beautiful architecture, and is all-around charming and very affordable. There are a few other places to see in this city aside from the tourist sites of Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Old Town Square, and the National Gallery though.

Stay at Mamaison Riverside Hotel

Photo credit: Tai Yuni

Just across the bridge from the city center and without wifi, this simple hotel allows you to get a taste of tranquillity, while providing excellent service. I’d recommend a room on the 6thfloor with views of Prague.

Eat at Olympia

Photo credit: Tai Yuni

A ten minute walk from the hotel, this local restaurant serves delicious typical Czech food. Try the American steak or the platter of various meats. They even have a section of the menu entitled something along the lines of – ‘Food that goes with Beer’.

For a bit more upscale experience, dine at Bellevue. Try the tasting menu. As a plus, the views really are beautiful, as the name of the restaurant suggests.

Shop at Manufaktura

Photo credit: Tai Yuni

This store is filled with natural bath products, made of beer, wine, and dead sea minerals among other ingredients. You can find traditional wooden Christmas decorations here as well.

As always, have a great trip!

Regular blogger on wealthmonitorblog.com. Wealthmonitor is a division of the Mergermarket Group and the Financial Times Group. 

Guest blogger on Natalie Minh Lifestyle Magazine and Member of Travel Blog Exchange

Website: http://thegypsyjetsetter.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tai.yuni
Twitter: @TaiYuni

After 24hrs of labor, I gave birth to a healthy 10lb 15oz girl, naturally and w/o epidural @ final stage. Guess I really was all baby! ALL the doctors and nurse staff were shocked at the baby’s size as I measured on target throughout my pregnancy, no gestational diabetes, nada. They believe that I have the record for the UCLA medical campuses LOL.

Welcome to the world, Tianna Mai-Linh!!

My little toddler

First car ride! Coming home from the Hospital

Tianna enjoying her 4th day of life

Check out this creative take on a baby shower, as a music video, for Tianna Mai-Linh at the Rooftop of the London West Hollywood. Cuisine/tea time by Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay.  Sunshine, palm trees, fun girlfriends and family = great memories.

Berlin is the cool, cultural epicentre of Germany, filled with art, music, architecture, and a great deal of history. It’s been quite a few years since the wall fell, and apparently a lot had changed between then and now so it’s definitely worth a visit if you haven’t been since – or at all for that matter!

Hotel Adlon Kempinski is the place to stay – a luxurious, legendary 5 star hotel where diplomats and celebrities alike have been, including Charlie Chaplin, Herbert Hoover and Marlene Dietrich. This hotel is located in Unter den Linden, which is ideal for sightseeing as the Brandenburg Gate and government buildings are all nearby.

Please note: If you’d like to visit the government buildings such as the Reichstag, you need to book a spot online at least several days in advance.

Even if you’re not that keen on sight-seeing, the one must-see stop on your visit would have to be the Checkpoint Charlie Museum which highlights the extent of hardship and what people went through to cross the border during the time of the Berlin Wall.

If you want to take a break from touring the city, stop in the Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers am Gendarmenmarkt for some hot chocolate, and pick up a pack of chocolate covered coffee beans for a little caffeine kick to munch on as needed.

Photo credit: Tai Yuni

For a casual meal, I recommend Turkish cuisine, which is excellent in Germany thanks to the Turkish immigrant population. Kebaphaus Ilayda uses fresh ingredients, and the service is friendly. Order less than you think you can eat as they have generous portions of meat here.

For a special night out, check out Fischers Fritz a two Michelin star restaurant just up the road from Hotel Adlon. Some of the dishes are excellent – such as the palate cleansers between courses, but the cod is less impressive.

As always, have a great trip!

About Tai Yuni

I am here to introduce you to tips and tricks on living the ultimate gyp-set lifestyle. I have been globetrotting since day one (128 cities in 30 countries so far) – and not always with sufficient means to do so – but international travel and living in different countries is my passion. And if a little luxury is thrown in there, all the better. – Tai Yuni.

Regular blogger on wealthmonitorblog.com. Wealthmonitor is a division of the Mergermarket Group and the Financial Times Group. 

Guest blogger on Natalie Minh Lifestyle Magazine and Member of Travel Blog Exchange

Website: http://thegypsyjetsetter.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tai.yuni
Twitter: @TaiYuni

You want more of it. You envy those who appear to possess more than you do. You hope that if you stare at inspirational photos long enough, that of others will seep through your skin and embody you whole.

Willpower.

You curse yourself as you fall for temptation, as you’re lured away from work by procrastination, as you’re once more a victim of your addictions.

This is the last time, you say. I’ll try harder tomorrow, you promise to yourself. Again.

But it just doesn’t work that way.

Dear reader, this is the start of a series dedicated to addressing our willpower conundrums*. No matter how attractive, rich, or successful we are, most of us still find ourselves wishing that we simply had more self-control when it came to this or that. You may be good at getting your work done on time, but what about all those nights when the TV seems more alluring to you than the bed? You’re diligent about exercising and eating right, but what about that ten-year smoking habit that you still haven’t kicked? The late night binges you can’t stop? The excuses you find not to call your family on a regular basis?

The first step in mastering your willpower is to understand under what circumstances you seem to lose control. Sometimes simply noticing what you didn’t even realize what you’ve been doing can highlight key troublespots about your own behavior. How, when, and why? Is there a pattern? It’s not just about finding ways to be successful and trudge forward, never glancing back; it’s about taking a microscope to our past behaviors to better grasp what went wrong and taking something away from it.

I’d like to distinguish between I won’t, I will, and I want power. To say no to something that’s been offered to you – closing the kitchen snack cupboards, opting for tea over alcohol, turning down an invitation to hang out with your friends in order to study for a test – requires that you recall what is it that you really, truly want. Not just for immediate gratification, but over the long term. The same goes for saying yes to something. Yes to waking up right when the alarm goes off, yes to going straight to the gym after work, yes to paying your bills on time. When you find yourself in a trying situation, remember your want.

What’s a challenge that you’d like to confront, once and for all? Whether it’s something you’d like to stop procrastinating on or an unhealthy habit that you’d like to kick, know this: you have it in you. It’s not a matter of who was born with a greater storage of inherent willpower than you were. You have it in you to conquer your inner demons and become the master of your own behaviors, not the other way around.

I encourage you to pick one challenge and only one. Putting too much on your plate at once can overwhelm you and may increase your chance of failure. For these next couple of weeks, we’ll invest much of our energies into this one challenge. Ready?

A little bit of background before we plunge ahead. Bear with me; it’ll be quick. So for any of you who are well-versed in the sciences or have taken even the most introductory psychology class at some point may recall that we humans have a part of our brains called the prefrontal cortex. This is the most advanced portion of our brains and allows us to do things like plan ahead and delay gratification. The self-control region, if you will. When we have to make difficult decisions – choosing one thing when we’d rather have or do something else – the prefrontal cortex kicks in. Unless you are conscientious and aware, your brain will want to default to what’s easiest; our primitive selves dominate. What’s scary about this is that we have to make hundreds of choices on a daily basis, yet most of the time, we’re so distracted that we don’t even realize that we’re making a choice at all. As Dr. Kelly McGonigal states, “How can you control yourself if you aren’t even aware that there is something to control?”

Your first task will be to spend a day taking note of all the decisions you make that are related to your willpower challenge. In the evening, sit down and examine the choices you made. Which ones brought you closer to your goal? Which pulled you away? What were the consequences of each? It may seem like a hassle, but I promise it will be worth your time. A little awareness goes a long way.

Additionally, pay attention to your thoughts and feelings as you come head-to-head with your challenge. I’m not asking you to do anything about it just yet. We’re establishing the foundation here – getting familiar with our own territory. You may find that you start panicking if you haven’t checked your phone in 4 minutes, or you feel anxious when a box of cookies is in close proximity. Just notice it and acknowledge the existence of said process.

I have some exciting news: the brain is incredibly responsive to experience and can adapt to change. If you continuously find your primitive self taking over, you can train your prefrontal cortex to take control when the need arises. Specific areas of the brain can become increasingly connected to one another based upon the demands you place on it. And you know what? Willpower is like a friggin’ muscle, baby! We’ll flex those willpower biceps and make ‘em stronger.

And lastly, if you don’t do this already, then I very strongly urge you to meditate. Some of you may recall that I wrote an article two months ago on this very topic (and in fact, you may notice that there are many similarities between that piece and this one. There are subtle differences, however, and I’d like to make the shift over to this direction, if I may). Dr. McGonigal writes:

“Neuroscientists have discovered that when you ask the brain to meditate, it gets better not just at meditating, but at a wide range of self-control skills, including attention, focus, stress management, impulse control, and self-awareness. People who meditate regularly aren’t just better at these things. Over time, their brains become finely tuned willpower machines. Regular meditators have more gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, as well as regions of the brain that support self-awareness.”

Are you convinced now? If you have just 5 minutes to spare in your day, breath focus meditation is a powerful exercise. Bringing this over from my earlier article, the steps are as follows:

Sit in a comfortable place. Not too comfortable that you’ll fall asleep, but enough that you won’t be moving around restlessly. Try to stay still.

Focus on your breath. Either with your eyes open or closed, concentrate your thoughts on your breath. Notice the physical sensations in your body as you inhale and exhale. How high do your shoulders rise, if at all? I know – you’re afraid your attention will wander. That’s completely expected. Simply notice that your thoughts have strayed and then come back to your breath. Breathe in. Breathe out.

You may feel silly when you first try this out; I know I did. When five minutes becomes easy, increase the time incrementally. When it starts to feel like a chore, bring it back down a notch. Devote only as much time to this practice as you’re willing. This isn’t supposed to feel like homework. There’s no one right way to meditate; you need to find what works for you.

If you’ve made it this far and you’ve nodded your head in agreement with any of the things I’ve said, then congratulations, you may just be ready to make some positive life changes.

*My writing will be based off of the book The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. (a fascinating read for anyone interested in behavioral psychology). I’ll be extracting bits, and often chunks, from the gem to share with you all. It is my sincerest hope that you can find even just one small fragment of my writing useful to you as you go about your daily lives.

About the Author

Sohee Lee is an FMI alum, NSCA-certified personal trainer, writer, and fulltime student. She will receive her BA in Human Biology from Stanfod University in June 2012.

When not in the gym or buried in textbooks, Sohee can be found writing fitness articles and networking with other like-minded individuals.

To learn more about Sohee, visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or join her Facebook fan page.

1. Can you tell us about yourself?

I grew up in Oklahoma, you could easily say that I was a country girl. My Parents bred and broke quarter horses. I was a ‘tom’ girl running around bare foot and trying to keep up with my brother and his friends building forts, spending my summers on our multi-acre ranch riding horses bailing hay. I was never inside. If I can recall it was hard for my mom to keep me sitting for long periods of time. I had all kinds of pet animals growing up. My parents really let me come into my own, exploring the world.

2. Have you always been active? Did you play any sports growing up?

Because of my activity level, I was put into sports at a young age, softball, dance, gymnastics and soccer. I think I tried just about every sport you could think of. I loved gymnastics and soccer keeping up with both through middle school and high school. I played for the ODP (Olympic Development Program) soccer team. Travelling on a bus around the states playing with other Select players and teams. I continued playing soccer in College and I now play for Guam’s Woman’s Soccer Team.

3. When did you become involved in fitness/bodybuilding? What inspired your decision to become a Fitness Competitor?

After I had my son, I wanted something to push me. I’ve always been a very goal-oriented individual so setting a goal for myself to compete was the perfect thing for me. I competed in my first competition, OCB Spirit of America in Cape Cod. I placed first and took home the overall. Since then, I fell in love with the sport and I’ve been hooked ever since with the community the bodybuilding family. The inspiration came from me wanting to be a mom and to still be super fit. So many moms lose themselves during motherhood; I wanted to be both & prove that you can still be driven focused have goals for yourself and still be an incredible mom. In fact, I believe that it makes me a better mom. To have that 1-2 hours a day where I’m able to focus on nothing else except me.

4. How long did it take you to achieve the physique you have now?

I look back at my very first show that I did, I had very little muscle mass some and not as balanced as I am now. It’s all about muscle maturity, training hard and giving your body a break when it needs it. I began training 5 years ago and for every competition I do or anything that requires some serious dieting, I see how my body gradually changed and developed slightly better than the time before. My body was excellent for my first competition where I took home the overall, I trained HARD for 8 months after I had my son. My training and overall physique just continues to get better because Im able to work with my weaknesses.

5. How intense is your workout program? Do you vary your training program during on and off-season?

My workout programs are very intense. I live for intensity, however there are times when I need to slow down during a certain training session to help strengthen and build a particular muscle group that may need to ‘pop’ a little more, for overall symmetry. My training intensity and style stays the same all throughout the year, the only thing that will change is the cardio I add in. It will increase the closer a competition comes.

6. How strict are you with your diet? What’s a typical diet like for a female figure competitor?

Most people say that I am very strict with my diet, but to be honest it doesn’t seem strict to me because its not hard for me to live and eat the way I do. I love the way my body feels, look, and performs when I eat great. I eat CLEAN all year round and again, depending on what Im getting ready for my Caloric intake will vary accordingly. Female Figure Competitors eat a balance of good clean/whole grain carbs, such as, Sweet potatos, Brown rice, Oatmeal, Rice Cakes, Ezekiel bread, Whole Grain pastas. lots of veggies, good lean sources of protein such as, Chicken breast, Lean ground turkey, Bison & Fish. Also rich sources of fat, such as Almonds, Avocado, Olive Oil, Coconut, Salmon & Natural Peanut butter.

7. What are your views with regard to supplements? Will you consider using them? What role do you feel supplements have in developing a muscle mass?

For me personally, I don’t use a lot of supplements. I have a protein supplement that I like to take sometimes for convenience. I have been genetically blessed in a way that its not hard for me to build muscles. I feel like I have to be careful not to gain too much mass to keep my feminine physique. I think specific supplementation is great for some people depending on their goals.

8. You recently competed in Ironman Naturally Championships. Can you tell us what it was like? How did you prepare for the big show?

The Ironman – yes that was a great show. That was a crazy trip. 2 weeks prior I have 2 scheduled photo shoots with photographers in L.A. Keep in mind at that time, I was living in Guam so I traveled 18+ hours just to get into Los Angeles. From L.A. I then flew into Miami, Ms. Universe for Fitness America. Placing 6th in my division. This was my very first competition with the Organization, Fitness America. After the show in Miami I then flew up to Chicago to work with Tony and Katrell for OAMG photography and the designer Dominique Vein. (All this time, I was staying in hotels, so you talk about hard to eat clean).

After spending a few days in Chicago I then traveled to LA where I competed in the IRONMAN NATURALLY placing first in my division and took home the overall. I had everything planned ahead before I traveled, making sure I’d have access to whole foods or another market that I could buy fresh foods in walking distance. I also traveled with a George Foreman (it was my LIFESAVER). That was one crazy journey but well worth all the hard work.

9. You placed 3rd in the 2012 Bodybuilding.com BodySpace Spokesmodel Contest. Can you tell us more about your experience?

Wow, that was an incredible experience. The bodybuilding.com team and everyone behind the scenes are truly amazing. They work so hard and are really good at what they do delivering, you the best information. We were so busy from 6am-9pm or later at night working on materials doing interviews and photoshoots. All the other contestant, who are now my team members on bodybuilding.com are like family now. When preparing for a competition like we did, your stress levels are so high, your energy levels are low so you must encourage each other to help push through them. Essentially we were all competing against each other, but in the end we really didn’t care about who took home the title, it was more like us finishing the week stronger as a whole then when we started.

10. You gained 45 pounds during pregnancy, how long did it take you to get back in shape after pregnancy? Any lessons learned to share with new moms?

I had gained so much weight during my pregnancy. I took a liking to Oreos and milk every night. It took me about 9 months to get it all back off. I set a goal for myself to compete in my first competition thats what drove me to get my pounds off. I feel like at that moment it was like a crossroads, I could have gone either path in my life. I know I wanted to better myself and feel good about my body again so I worked my tail off getting there. It was HARD work, but the feeling of accomplishment afterward was worth every bit of sweat, growling stomach and sore muscle that I felt during those 9 months.

11. As a fitness model and a mother, how do you influence your children to eat healthy?

I believe its very important that we teach our children at a young age about balance diet. My boys (3&5) are already learning the difference in good and bad foods. Every time we eat, I open up the door for conversation about what we’re eating and why its good for us. I do however love taking my kids to local bakeries or having pizza and movie nights, but like anything in life, it’s about balance. For example if we’re having pizza, I offer them a side of oranges and water or milk instead of french fries and juice or soda. They need to understand that it is okay to eat the things that we enjoy but to also eat the things that are good for our active bodies.

12. Any advice on how parents should educate their children on how to live a fit & healthy lifestyle?

This is a big issue for me. I was lucky and had a mom that taught me at a young age about being active and healthy, so many times our youth is uneducated about how to eat that they begin to develop eating disorders, low self-esteem, obesity or diabetes. They go from one extreme to the other. If we, as adults and parents begin to teach our youth, it’s the gift that forever gives back. They will continue to learn and build on the foundations that you have given them and in return, teach those around them including their own children one day. You have to teach them to love the outdoors to be active and learn to love fitness not as punishment for eating the box of cookies but for something they do out of enjoyment.

13. You work as a personal trainer to military spouses. Can you tell us more about this? How does your approach to training differ from most personal trainers?

I love my job, and to be honest I would have a hard time ever giving this up, Im truly passionate about helping the spouses of the active duty military. It has to be one of the most trying jobs as a couple. Deployed spouses from anywhere to 7 months to over 14 months can be so hard on an individual. Packing up and moving every few years, is stressful on the entire family. It is my job to give them a goal something to focus on, something to learn and to get better at. No matter where they move too they will always have a gym, although their home will change they will leave friends and family behind, but they will ALWAYS have a gym to train at.

It’s my belief that the spouse of a deployed military member has to be just as strong, they hold the family together through times of trail. They offer encouragement and support to the children when they are sad. And they have no one else but themselves to get through the days and the long nights waiting for the return of the deployed. I have helped so many to see them go through breakdowns and saying they can’t do it anymore. I tell them that they can do it and they will. They continue to overcome, achieve and make themselves stronger both physically and mentally!

14. Are you planning to compete again this year? Are you doing anything different to help you prepare for the next show?

I am, I will be doing a few more shows this year. My husband, who is in the US Navy and is currently deployed, will be retuning next month, we are in the process of getting orders and moving to a location in California. As soon as I can get his schedule on hand I will plan out the rest of my year, my sights are set on the 2012 Olympia in Vegas. No promises but it’s looking pretty good.

15. What are your long term goals in this industry? Are you working on any upcoming projects?

I have so many long term goals.. I want to continue to build the name Ashley Horner with Bodybudiling.com as an Athlete for them and a Team Member to develop a long relationship with them. I have started writing for a few magazines landing my own columns so that’s been incredible as well. But, I’ve said this in the beginning that I have set out to be the best, in everything that I do. I want to excel in modeling and becoming more mainstream, I want to open up all doors and not just in fitness but in all aspects of modeling.

16. Any shout outs? Where can we find you on the Internet?

Well, I’ve said this many times, to be successful in this industry you must have a good support system. I have a husband that is so proud of me and supports me with everything I get myself into. People don’t believe me when I say its hard to be married to a fitness model. The people who understand this statement and know what Im saying have to either be a Model or with a Model. Not only are we models but it’s about FITNESS and PHYSIQUE so it’s about our bodies. It takes a confident man, a level headed man and one with a lot of patience to be able to deal with our lifestyle. There have been many times that, Blaine would write me, even while he’s a million miles away on deployment and say, “did you see what that dude’s comment was on Facebook?!!. If only I could get my hands on him, I’d teach him to show some respect!” He means it partially joking but I know especially the alpha male type that he is, he has to bite his tongue a lot.

I have to say too, thank you to all my fans! I don’t mean this in a cheesy way but I love you all and you guys have made me successful by listening watching and interacting with me at all different levels. I feel truly truly blessed. And to all the photographers & makeup artists who have so helpful and who have worked and pulled some LONG days with me. These have been some of the best experiences of my life. Thank you to Natalie Minh for the great interview.

For more information on me,

www.ashleyhorner.com
www.facebook.com/ashleyhornerfitness
twitter @HornerAshley
www.bodybuilding.com/bodyspace/ashleyhorner
www.facebook.com/BlaineGamacheAshleyHorner

The Interview

1. Can you tell us about yourself?

I was born and raised in Michigan. I have always been part tomboy and part girly girl. I grew up dancing and playing sports. I attended college in MI and graduated with a degree in Marketing and Communications. I moved to LA about 2 years ago and have been pursuing modeling ever since.

2. How did you get started with modeling?

I got started in modeling after I took some pictures with an amazing photographer (James Creighton) and I was absolutely hooked! Being a dancer my whole life, I have always been a bit of a ham in front of the camera.

3. You are trained in dances such as ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop. Have you thought about becoming an instructor in this field?

I have, however, I have always loved being a student. Dance is ever evolving and always challenges you in new ways – it is my true passion and I will never not be dancing, even when I am old and gray, ha ha.

4. Have you competed in dance competitions in the past?

Yes I have competed in competitions most of my life.

5. How do you stay in shape? Can you describe your typical daily diet?

I stay in shape b/c I simply cannot sit still. I also eat really clean and healthy. Lots of salads, raw veggies and fruit. I splurge every now and then, but stick to a pretty strict diet most of the time and drink TONS of water.

6. Do you exercise at home or a gym? What type of exercises do you include in your routine?

I work out at gym. My workouts include both weights and cardio, dance (mostly hip hop), and I even took burlesque classes as well as a pole dancing class. So much fun! I try to get to barre class at least once a week…. I also LOVE the outdoors, so I go hiking on the weekends. Back when I lived in MI you could find me skiing or snowboarding. Like I said – I can’t sit still. I’ve always been very active.

7. You volunteer to help save stray animals during your free time. What organization are you involved in and how did you get started doing volunteer work?

I have always loved animals since I was little. I am currently involved with The Gentle Barn. They rescue, rehabilitate and offer sanctuary to abused animals. They also have programs for at risk children that teach them to how care for the animals as well as to have compassion for all living things.

8. You are part of the upcoming shows MTV’s Fantasy Factory and NBC Up All Night: Luke’s Girl. Can you tell us what they are about and what your roles are in these shows?

My time on Up All Night was an awesome experience. I play Luke’s (Steven Pasquale) girlfriend in the episode. It was the first time I have ever kissed on camera. I was super nervous, but of course Steven was the consummate professional and totally put me at ease. We had to do so many takes my lips were chapped the next day, haha! For MTV’s Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory I played a bikini model in their “Livin’ It” episode.

9. What else would you like our readers to know about you?

My Favorite Quote: “It’s impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

10. What’s next for you? What are your future goals in the modeling industry?

I am one of those individuals who always has a ton of goals/dreams, and I write them down and refer to them often. I have always wanted to be in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, so that’s definitely on my vision board/goal list.

11. Any shout outs?

I’d definitely like to thank my cousin, Divini Rae. She is a HUGE supporter of mine as well as my career advisor/manager. Everyone in my family is a big supporter of my dreams – they have always been my rock, and I love them so much and am grateful to each and every one of them.

12. Where can we find you on the internet?

My website is currently being built, however it should be up and running soon! I am on Twitter and FB @ambersoleilla and http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002986398359

Birchbox.com

Birchbox sends you nice sized beauty trials on a monthly basis for $10/month. The box is cool, the little items inside feel like you’re gifting yourself once a month and it just makes me smile. My mom gave me a slightly hard time about spending money on swag but lo and behold, when my first box came in two weeks ago, she was playing in the box and ooooh and ahhhh about how fun the items were.  I think that this makes a fun gift for other women.. recommend.

celebboutique.com

Need a hot dress for the night out? Saw something that Kim Kardashian was rocking in US Weekly but can’t afford the name brand? Celeb Boutique comes to the rescue. They are unbelievably fast at coming to market with the latest celebrity fashion wear, specifically dresses. Side note, I’m also a huge fan of asos.com, which is the original and British version of this celebrity fashion concept, if you’re looking for a more diverse selection of cool apparel.

Celeb Boutique has hot dresses without looking too skanky. Living in LA and bouncing a bit between Miami and Vegas, I think I’ve seen it all and I feel like I can wear this website’s apparel without losing my dignity or looking like a cougar trying to squeeze into a teenie bopper’s clothing line.

Blurb.com

I recently had my awesome photo editor create 3 different wedding album layouts from all of my wedding photos and then printed them out over at Blurb (one for each set of parents and a master for me). Really happy with the quality of paper, cover, colors, and speed of shipping. I upgraded my paper to the Proline series and also Imagewrap hard cover… totally worth it. BTW, if you need graphic design album layout services, let me know… my editor/graphic designer has been designing wedding books for years and can make your memories even more special.

Yipit.com

Yipit is an aggregator of alllll of those Groupon-like sites that have been popping up.  It’s tough to be getting 5-10 different saver site emails daily, I just end up deleting them usually.  With Yipit, I can see in one shot the 250-300 local deals daily.  Seriously cool.  If you download the iPhone app, the GPS function will allow you to see all of the deals in your local vicinity, which is especially useful for a metropolitan like Los Angeles.

The Interview

1. Tell us about yourself (where you live, education, job, background…)

I came to the US when I was 2 years old, from Latvia a former Republic of Russia, currently I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. I graduated from Temple University with a degree in English Literature. I am a certified Balanced Body Instructor. I am also a Gold Executive in Zija International.

2. Can you tell about your weight loss success story? How would you describe your health condition before you changed your lifestyle?

I have lost a total of 21lbs since I started my weight loss program. I’ve always maintained a healthy lifestyle and always worked out I just had to change it up a bit I also started working out with a trainer 3x a week.

3. What was your motivation? Can you share how much you’ve lost?

My motivation was the Fitness America show, I really wanted to get up on that stage and look my best . This was my first show, I’ve wanted to do one for years, and I thought okay, now is the time to set a goal and just go for it. I lost 18 lbs for the show and kept it off, and now I’m down even more and preparing for the next show.

4. How have you done it? What was your secret?

I began training everyday and did 2 a days, including cardio 2x a day everyday. I also made some changes in my diet, eating 6-7 small meals a day, taking the time to prepare my food and have my cooler with me everywhere I went.

5. When did you make the decision to compete in Fitness Competitions? What was your motivation that drew you to the stage?

I made the decision to compete in Fitness America 6 weeks before the show. I knew that the Fitness America show is a really fun show because I had a friend that was a competitor and attended some of her shows and she would always ask me to compete with her. My first show was this past November, Fitness America and I placed in the Top 10 and came in 6th place overall in the Bikini Tall Class.

6. You recently competed in Fitness America Bikini Class. Can you tell us about your experience? What was it like stepping on stage the first time?

Competing for the first time, I was very nervous and excited at the same time, I wanted to fit in among the other girls. And stepping on that stage for the first time I was extremely nervous however once I got out there I felt so comfortable, and confident and just had fun with it.

7. How different are your diet & training routines now from when you first started with fitness?

I know my body much better now and what works and what doesn’t for me.

8. Do you take any supplements? If so, what are they and what are their benefits?

I do take a supplement, I take the Zija SmartMix in which the main ingredient is Moringa Oleifera with cell-ready nutrients, antioxidants, minerals, omegas, and proteins.

9. Are you planning to compete again this year? What have you learned you need to improve that will help you prepare for the next show?

I am competing April 7. I learned a lot just by watching the other competitors on stage, especially the walk and posing I definetely will be much improved.

10. You are an Independent Distributor of Zija. For those who don’t know much about it, can you tell us about the company and how it got started?

The company was started in 2006 to help people live more healthy which was sparked by the passion for tree called Moringa. The company developed earth friendly products using Moringa.

11. How many Zija products are there and what are their benefits?

There are various products from nutritional, energy, weight management and skin care.

12. Do you have any advice for others who would like to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle?

I think being consistent in your diet and exercise program is key and just being active weather it’s going to the gym or just going for a walk with the dog. Getting out to do something daily is important.

13. What’s next for you? What are your future goals in the fitness industry?

My next show is a few weeks if I place in the top 5 I will be competeing the following weekend to go pro. I’d like to continue comepteing and fitness modeling.

14. Where can we find you on the Internet?

www.lianahamilton.myzija.com or www.lianahamilton.myzijastory.com and Facebook.